Art Center Collection Breaking Boundaries

The 120-piece Exhibit Of Art, Poetry, Photos And More Is On Display At New Smyrna's Atlantic Center.

March 29, 1997|By Linda Creesy Sentinel Correspondent

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — This is the story of the art portfolio that grew.

And grew.

And grew so large that members of Atlantic Center for the Arts National Advisory Council agreed it was too valuable to be auctioned at ACA's recent 20th anniversary celebration in February.

Called ''Breaking the Boundaries,'' the portfolio, which includes many works in progress by former master artists in residence at the center, is now on exhibit at ACA through April 23.

''We had hoped to get about 100 items donated,'' said Suzanne Fetscher, ACA executive director. ''When we received more (about 120 pieces), we were overwhelmed by the support. Examples of the items artists sent were astonishing. It turned out to be an incredible record of ACA's history but also examples of the creative process that we're all about. In the past, we've had a hard time pointing to our product.''

Some samples of work that can be viewed include:

A photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono by New Smyrna Beach photographer Jack Mitchell that appeared on the cover of People Magazine shortly before Lennon's assassination.

A hand-written poem, ''Knock,'' by the late poet and novelist James Dickey, who penned the novel Deliverance.

An excerpt from a novel The Last Reunion by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Allen Drury, who wrote Advise and Consent.

Five manuscript pages from an uncompleted play by Tony award and Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Edward Albee, author of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

The idea to solicit donated works from the former master artists actually came from ACA board member Micheline Kramer.

''She thought it would be a nice thing to do for our celebration to be auctioned at the black tie dinner,'' Fetscher said. ''And it was going to be another means to raise money for the center.''

But then as it began growing, Fetscher said it became more of a cultural artifact than objects of art.

''There's a hidden insightful story here about how an artist thinks or how an artist struggles,'' she said. ''We couldn't make the decision alone (not to auction) so I asked the National Advisory Council. The consensus of opinion was for us to keep it.''

The response was also ''incredible'' for ACA founder Doris Leeper.

''It's just magnificent that so many artists responded as generously as they did,'' Leeper said. ''It verifies again their tremendous support for the center and its activities. Their responses were thoughtful and purposeful.''

At one point, Fetscher thought about dividing the works and auctioning them according to category instead of just one large portfolio.

''But that would have separated disciplines, and that isn't what we're about,'' she said. ''It would have taken away the scope and breadth of our program and history.''

Now ACA is in the infancy stage of discussions with museum curators and art consultants about developing a traveling exhibit with the portfolio.

''We need professional advice,'' Fetscher said. ''We need to know where would it be interesting to show - at colleges? at libraries? at art schools? I'm thinking it would have to be shown in a specialized location because it probably wouldn't draw a major audience.''